Phuket warehouse raid uncovers scam with 20,000 items seized
Police in Phuket have dismantled a large-scale fraudulent parcel operation, seizing more than 20,000 items believed to be used in a nationwide cash-on-delivery (COD) scam.
Yesterday, November 16, Police Major General Sinlert Sukhum, commander of Phuket Provincial Police, led a team including officers from Mueang Phuket Police Station to inspect a commercial unit in Boat Plaza, Rassada subdistrict.
The raid followed an investigation indicating that the premises were being used to store items intended to deceive recipients into paying for unsolicited goods.
The building, a single-unit commercial property with a glass storefront, contained a significant volume of brown cardboard boxes and large sacks. Inside, officers found several workers and a 31 year old woman from Trang province actively packing items into boxes. She was identified as the main suspect and was taken into custody.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect had previously sold general merchandise online before shifting to a more deceptive business model. KhaoSod reported that the suspect purchased recipient names from a private logistics company at one baht per name and affixed these details to parcels.
The packages were then shipped across Thailand under COD terms, despite the recipients never having ordered the goods.
Items included low-cost imported cosmetics and personal care products such as soap, body cream, shampoo, and skincare items. Police noted that while some recipients paid upon delivery, others rejected the items, resulting in returns to the warehouse. Returned items were then repackaged with new names and sent out again.
The operation had reportedly been active since August 2024. According to investigators, the suspect was generating nearly 100,000 baht per day. On the day of the raid alone, more than 2,000 parcels had already been shipped.
Authorities estimate that the total value of the scam exceeds 3.1 million baht, based on an average collection of 150 baht per parcel.
The seized items included:
- 7,492 illegal products
- 5,223 packaging materials
- 3,890 packed parcels
- 1,099 parcels ready for dispatch
- 3,125 returned parcels
In total, 20,829 items were confiscated. The suspect was transferred to the custody of Mueang Phuket Police Station for further legal proceedings.
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